Kotaku East

First Good Look at the New Gundam Anime

It’s called Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. According to the official site, the will broadcast starting this October in Japan. Well, what do you think? Do you like the art design? The shirtless mecha piloting? To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter@Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East is your slice…

In Japan, McDonald’s Gets Way Too Fancy

It’s called Restaurant M. And for one day in Tokyo, it will be serving full-course meals made from McDonald’s food. According to Weekly ASCII, Bimi, and Sorrida, the full course meal is served on plates and eaten with utensils. [Photo: Bimi] [Photo: Sorrida] There’s even a fancy menu. [Photo: Sorrida] This, for example, is vichyssoise…

A Cloudy Evening. Kyoto, Japan. By Jimmy H’ng. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

Track: Summer (Live) | Artist: Joe Hisaishi | Album: Kikujiro Soundtrack Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Visit Tokyo Through These Beautiful Sketches

Not every part of Tokyo is flashy. Many parts are anything but. Artist Ryota Hayashi not only shows the cityscape, but parts of Tokyo that are away from the crowds and chaos. Using colored pencils, Hayashi focuses on Tokyo and its surrounding suburbs. His tranquil sketches give a quiet dignity to the areas. Have a…

Fire Emblem Fates’ Big Choice Makes For Great Storytelling

The story of Fire Emblem Fates is built around a central choice—one you inadvertently make the moment you pick up a copy of the game. [Note: This article spoils the first hour or two of the game.] Fire Emblem Fates follows Corrin (who I will be referring to as female as that’s the gender I…

Don’t Wear Batman Capes in Japanese Restaurants

They really just get in the way. But, as actor Takayuki Yamada explains, this is not cosplay. “I’m Batman,” Yamada says as he gets up on the table after his boss says he’s too into Arkham Knight in this humorous Japanese PS4 spot. In case you missed it, check out Kotaku’s review of Arkham Knight.…

Chris Hemsworth Really Looks Like a Dog

Not in a bad way! But in a damn-The-Avengers-actor-totally-looks-like-a-dog way. Twitter user Moccchi9 noticed the similarity between Chris Hemsworth and Japanese Akita. Have a look for yourself: Agree? Disagree? Woof? To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter@Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing…

Take a Listen to Persona 4 Dancing All Night’s Remix-Filled Soundtrack

Persona 4: Dancing All Night isn’t the meatiest of music games—it currently only has 30 songs (3 of which are DLC). However, it largely makes up for this with the sheer number of new remixes of classic Persona 4 songs. Have a listen! Persona 4 “Backside of the TV (Lotus Juice Remix)” “Electronica in Velvet…

Japanese Statues Made with Dead Bugs

If you don’t like bugs, living or dead, then perhaps you might want to sit this one out. Yoneji Inamura, a resident of Gunma Prefecture, has created some unusual sculptures. [Photo: Naver] This samurai doll of Nitta Yoshisada, according to Naver, was created in 1970. It took ten months to complete and is made from…

The Boy and the Beast is the Anime Version of The Jungle Book

You know, only with less Shere Khan, more epic sword fights, and an evil giant spirit whale. If you’ve ever seen Disney’s version of The Jungle Book, you already know the basic story of The Boy and the Beast. A boy befriends a bear in a world of animals before eventually falling in love with…

Mount Takao. Hachioji City, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan. By Jason Capp. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

Track: Dragon Night (in English) | Artist: Sekai no Owari | Album: Dragon Night (Single) Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Today, There Was a Rainbow Over Nintendo’s Kyoto Headquarters

The weather was partly cloudy today in Kyoto. But through the clouds, a rainbow was apparently spotted in the sky over Nintendo’s headquarters. [Photo: bakatetu2] This photo, snapped by Twitter user Bakatetu2, was taken from Jujo Station in Kyoto. The lede photo was taken by Twitter user Kaorin1211’s husband. Top photo: kaorin1211 To contact the…

The Tokyo Olympic Stadium Makes for Good Photoshops

The price tag for 2020 Tokyo Olympic stadium is now a whopping $2.1 billion. That’s more than the stadiums for the past three summer Olympic stadiums combined. That’s pretty silly! So is the stadium’s new Photoshop meme. According to the Wall Street Journal, the latest budget estimate is a 50 percent increase from the last…

Poll: The Most Beloved Manga Artists in Japan

A thousand Japanese people were asked who their “most favorite” manga artists were. The results may surprise you. Maybe not! Website Charapedia published the results of the poll. Out of the thousand who participated, 52 percent were men, 48 percent were women, 72.5 percent were in their teens and twenties, and 27.5 percent were in…

KFC Turns Pizza Crust Into…Chicken

If chicken can double for hamburger and hot dog buns, then surely, it will work as pizza crust. What could go wrong? In the Philippines, KFC is rolling out what it’s calling, wait for it, Chizza. Geddit? Heh. So far, this doesn’t appear to be available elsewhere. But before you think that might be for…

Phantasy Star Online 2 Is Getting an Anime

Phantasy Star Online 2 is being turned into a TV anime series. What’s it going to be called? Why, Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation. Clever! The show helps mark Phantasy Star Online’s 15th anniversary. It is slated for a 2016 broadcast in Japan and will feature a completely original story. To contact the author…

Saiko Lake Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. By Cheng Hoo Sew. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

At this Science Exhibit, You Study Pokémon

A Pokémon themed science exhibit kicked off this week in Japan. Dubbed the Pokémon Research Institute, the exhibit is centered around observing and classifying Pocket Monsters. Visitors get a Pokéball and then go around to each of the different twelve “machines” in the exhibit to get hints about which Pokémon is inside. Some of the…